Alnus formosana

Description

The formosan alder is a trees up to 20 meters in height with dark gray-brown bark. The petiole is 1.2-2.2 cm, slender; leaves elliptic or oblong-lanceolate, rarely ovate-oblong, 6-12 × 2–5 cm, hairy in the axils of lateral veins beneath, almost hairless above, rounded or broadly cuneate base, irregularly minutely serrated margin, acuminate or acute apex; lateral veins 6 or 7 on each side of the midrib. It has one female inflorescence, or 2-4 in a cluster, ellipsoid, 1-2.5 cm; peduncle 3–5 mm.

|Tree shape.jpg|Form |Alnus formosana in Hackfalls Arboretum.jpg|Bark |Alnus formosana leaves.jpg|Leaves

Distribution and habitat

It is found in Taiwan. It is a common species growing on riverbanks from near sea level to 2900 m. It is commonly found in disturbed habitats as a pioneer species.

Ecology

Alnus formosana flowers between May–June, fruiting between July–September.

Uses

This tree is used for soil improvement. It also finds use in gardens and as a windbreak. The tree trunks is also used in paper pulping and cultivating snow fungus and shiitake.

The Atayal people uses A. formosana as a cover crop after clearing a new field, the traditional wisdom being that the soil becomes rich when it is cut cleared again in 10 to 15 years. It is also used in the Pas-ta'ai ritual of the Saisiyat people.

Early Han settlers of Taiwan name some places after the occurrence of the plant, the belief being that its occurrence is linked to ground collapse.

References

References

1. "''Alnus formosana'' (Burkill) Makino". Royal Botanical Gardens Kew.
2. Pei-chun Li & Alexei K. Skvortsov. "''Alnus formosana''". Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, MO & Harvard University Herbaria, Cambridge, MA.
3. (1999). "臺灣樹木解說第參冊". 行政院農業委員會.
4. "台灣赤楊". kplant.biodiv.tw.
5. COA. "泰雅族傳統「農林混合作業」所蘊含的生態知識──論南澳鄉金洋村的赤楊木栽植(農委會)". www.coa.gov.tw.
6. "矮靈祭". web.chu.edu.tw.
7. "森態資料庫介紹 {{!}} 台灣山林悠遊網". recreation.forest.gov.tw.